Level Up
by whitworth5274
Summary: The stage is set. In this year's Gaming World Championship, Hardin25 and Dva will take on their biggest challenge yet. Instead of playing Starcraft II, they are competing against every gamer in the world in every genre of gaming. Skills will be challenged, love tested, a old rival reemerges. At the end of it all, will Joshua and Hana still be the king and queen of the gaming world?
1. The Story Begins

**Welcome everyone! I am whitworth5274, the author of _Level Up_. I would like to first welcome back the readers of _New Game,_ the prequel to this story, and to those who read the first version of _Level Up_ earlier this year. To remind those people, this is not the original story. I restarted it due to wanting to keep what made the first one likeable (to me), and that was not about saving the world, but playing video games. I believe it is a standout story in this community, and I rather keep it unique rather than do what has already been done.**

 **For those who didn't read _New Game_ , I suggest you do, even if it is a skim. I, at this point, wouldn't say it is necessary, but to know the backgrounds of the main characters, you will need to.**

 **But a quick summary of _New Game_ : Joshua Hardin, aka "Hardin25" joins forces with his longtime rival Hana Song, aka "Dva" in a bid to win championship gold at the Gaming World Championships. They fall in love, go through some controversary, nearly win the tournament until the Omnic in the Korean Sea disrupts everything, leaving the victory vacated. **

_**Level Up**_ **takes place a year later, just after Hana comes back from military service. We actually start at this moment. As for updates, unofficially the writing of the story begins now, but do not expect frequent updates until next month or 2019. The rest of the story will be here quicker than you'll think. I am just excited to write about Josh and Hana again.**

 **So without further ado, enjoy the first chapter of _Level Up_!**

* * *

 _Josh_

5\. The people were ready. All over the world, thousands of basement-dwelling, couch potatoing, school skipping, Mountain Dew and Doritos eating teenagers of all kinds sat with their various streaming devices in hand, eyes on the screen as if their lives depend on it. The comments rage with anticipation of the next five minutes, entertained only by the music blasting out their speakers.

4\. I enter my room, toting 4 liters of root beer, 3 bags of various chip brands, and a bottle of lotion...for dry skin. I set my items down, and seat myself in my comfy gaming chair. As I look at the stream chat, I can barely, just barely, keep with the comments, as over 30,000 people who got nothing better to do sit at their computer screens, and instead of busting their balls or stirring up shit on social media, these boys and girls rather be here. That's kinda awesome, to be so beloved in this way. You can't get 30,000 people to go green in an hour, but promise a livestream of a video game for a few hours, they'll be there.

3\. With little time to spare, I make final preparations. Food? Check. Drinks? Check. Excellent internet connection? Check. Headsets? Check. Lotion… Checkmate. However, I'm missing something...Ah, yes.

2\. I hastily open a new tab, linked to the main page of the stream. Searching for one streamer in particular, I was pleased to know that the competition hadn't arrived, and given the time, she shouldn't be up anyway. Due to her joining the military temporarily to stop an Omnic threatening her homeland, she hadn't streamed games or anything at all for a year. It is already bad enough we're both made famous by the same game, in the same competition, in the same tournament, and fighting the same battle over four years ago, and we would continue to compete for the gold for the next two years, her winning all three times, and teamed up last year, nearly winning it. But each year, I came closer...but close is not good enough. If I do anything this year, I will defeat my arch-nemesis, and take home the gold in our fourth meeting.

1\. As the countdown began to wind down to the final seconds, I looked over to my large wooden shelf, seeing the trio of silver trophies lined up in the center. Don't get me wrong, I am proud to be #2 in the world, because I never, ever thought I would even reach the top 20, but being beaten by a girl, a super attractive South Korean girl at that, ruffles my male American feathers. Call it hurt pride, because that's exactly what it is. I move my gaze down normal eye-level, where a picture of me and my rival are shaking hands at the end of two years ago's match that lasted almost over an hour. Along the same part of the shelf were other pictures of us, with or without our trophies. We were portrayed as a friendly rivalry, but in truth, it was more than that. Last year proved it better than anything. Despite the troubles we had leading up to our big moment, we stuck together, and I couldn't wait to see her again.

Ok, maybe I have had some...thinking time of her, but it was more of an "I hadn't had sex in a year and my girlfriend is a war hero" fantasy. I like her, and I definitely like her to think of her in the nude.

0\. The stream countdown is over, and I officially broadcast the stream a few seconds later. As the livestream begins, I put on a smile, happy to be able to do what I love in front of...65,000 people. Damn...what if I fuck up? Nah… These same 65,000 people definitely watch my rival stream as well, and if I mess up, there's no telling what'll they say on her stream. Ah, whatever, they probably shit on me anyway. "Hello everyone from all around the fucking world, human and Omnic. I should need no introduction, and but out of the 65,000, a good… 30,000 are probably forgetful. Welcome to my livestream, and I'm your host, Hardin25. Now let's get some things settled." I put up my bottle of lotion, and snicker into the camera. "Dva isn't home yet to me to use this, and neither are you nasty ass horny dogs either. Save it for later today, or save it for the championship in two months...if they let me back in again. Now, if your stream is just right, can I get some random emojis in the chat?" My 65,000 and rising minions bombarded the chat with emojis, and I nodded in appreciation, hovering my mouse cursor over the Starcraft II launcher. "Thanks, guys, now let's get started."

Just then, my phone buzzes, and I excuse myself to attend to it. It was a message from Hana's grandfather, letting me know that she had just landed in Busan and to...check my mailbox. Oh, I knew what this meant. "Hold on guys, I just got a message from South Korea. Our hero Dva has landed in Busan, so we are happy about that, but also...it's here. The invitation we all been waiting for! I'll be back!" I race to the front door, opening it and quickly grabbing the mail inside. I threw all unimportant letters aside, taking back into my game room the letter signed by the Gaming World Championships, the biggest gaming league in the world. "Ok, here it is. We're opening it, and... Let's see… Same old greeting, same old message, yeah I'm invited, register here and there...WHAT?" Omg. This couldn't be happening. Of all the outcomes of this year's tournament, this had to be worse than last year's decision.

"In an effort to truly determine who the best in the world is, this year's tournament will not be separated by games, as such in the past. Instead, participants will play through several games at each stage until one is declared the winner." I set the letter down after looking at the list of games to be played at the upcoming tournament, looking breathlessly at the home menu of _Starcraft II_. It wasn't on the list. "Oh boy."

But the best part is that now I can claim the gold. And that thought definitely puts a smile on my face. It's time to level up, Hardin25, or else Dva will get ahead.

...I really just began this story like I did the last one, huh. Me starting a livestream with a countdown, begin said stream, goes to mailbox to see GWC letter inside, and read it to the public of what this year's events will be. I'm like most games in this era. Just a few tweaks here and there, but pretty much the same as the last one.

I continue to stare at my computer screen, just waiting for my mind to process what I just read. For years, GWC split its tournaments by certain games, such as _Starcraft II, Super Smash Bros, Call of Duty,_ and others. But if it is going to a singular, huge tournament with a variety of games to play...that means...I begin laughing to myself as I turned to the camera. "Well guys, this means one thing. The western gaming world will win. Sorry China and Korea, but America or Europe is taking the gold. So Junkrat, Roadhog, the Shimadas, and my beloved Dva… Suck it. But to my fellow Westerners, who is king of the west? Yours truly. Finally going to add gold to my collection. So if your name is Widowmaker, Tracer, Pharah, Mercy, bow your heads low and suck it. Same time if you prefer, or we can do turns. To the boys, McCree, Reaper, bow your fucking heads low and kiss my ass. I'm winning, no matter what."

Despite the bravado I display, I am quite nervous about the whole thing. The competition pool now expands beyond _Starcraft_. The fighting community, the platforming community, the RTS community, the shooter community, every conceivable genre of gaming could have representation at the upcoming tournament. The grand prize isn't just king or queen of a community, but king or queen of the world undisputedly. I already claimed king, as Hana claimed to be queen. We have the sponsorships, the victories, the viewerships, but so do many others. Our crowns will be challenged, claims put to the test, and if either or both of us fail, our fall from grace will be greater than it could have been last year.

As a wise, legendary gamer told me, "'The world will make heroes rise, but the world loves to see them fall.'"

* * *

 _Hana, 5 hours later_

 _"I...believe it is my...turn."_

 _"You do deserve it." With a slow movement, Josh dragged his hand down Hana's sides to her inner thigh, caressing it in tempo to her sighs. Her hips bucked at the touch, begging for her core to get the promised attention. She whined as Josh continued to tease her, even pulling back her panties and let then snap back her pelvis. After toying with her long enough, Josh tugged on her sweats and underclothes in one quick movement. He moved down immediately to see the exposed core, taking in the many folds the fleshy, damp walls made. He smiled as he noticed how soaked they were, due to the many minutes of Hana being aroused during their time. Looking back up to Hana, who was between desperation for Josh to get to pleasing her and pleasure from his continued teasing, she watched him lower his head. He hovered over the core for a few seconds, his breath tingling Hana's nerves, then extended his tongue, tasting the lubricated skin. After hearing a slight sigh from the girl, the boy brought himself lower, using lips and tongue on the opening._

 _Gaming's most hardened player was reduced to a sex-crazed girl, just off the stimulation of her core. She, unlike Joshua, had been aroused far too long and felt like any moment she would just explode. From her pelvic region to her brain, every nerve took part in her satisfaction. To increase it, she placed a hand on Josh's head, nearly stuffing his face in her pussy while his tongue explored her inner walls, his nose tickling the clitoris. He chuckled at Hana's actions, then proceeded to give her exactly what she wanted. Raising his head a bit, he penetrated the walls even deeper by using his middle finger._

 _Hana squealed at the invasion, nearly crushing Josh's head between her legs. A chorus of panted breaths, moans, and a varying assortment of words that told Josh to keep going sang from Hana's vocal cords, broken as her language was. But before she could get used to it, an increase of speed and the addition of two more fingers occurred, nearly driving Hana mindless. Josh came back up to her, kissing her hard before moving away from her gasping lips to her neck. While he was near her ear, he said only three words:_ "Joshua is calling."

I open my eyes in shock and surprise as my computer broadcasts the same message over and over. Great, he wants to video chat now out of all times. Coming down from my unfulfilled high, I lean up on my bed, wiping my left hand free of bodily fluid with my covers while my other hand pulled up my pink panties back to their rightful position. I begin to readjust my bra, but contemplate against doing so just to tease my boyfriend just a bit. Agreeing with my devil, I only move the right strap back up to my shoulder while the left hangs off my body, the article itself barely covering my breasts as I want it to, but enough to be somewhat decent in my slutty ways.

Before you reprimand the poor heroine of this story, remember that she hadn't had sex in a year and she saved Korea along with some other Korean gamers by defeating the Omnic. Let her blow some steam.

I click the command to answer the call, and seconds later my boyfriend appears on screen. "H-Hey there!"

" _Hana? You seem...unsettled."_

 _Thanks to you, assface._ "Oh nothing, I was just surprised by your call, that's all."

" _That explains why you're dressed as such."_

I tug on the right strap still appropriately placed on my shoulder with a finger. "Would you...prefer me in a different state of clothe?"

" _Enticing thought, but not right now. This is a business call. I don't want Hana, I'll get to her soon enough. Hardin25 wants Dva."_

Oh. He wants to talk business. I straighten up a bit, wondering just what our alter egos had to discuss. I had already read my invitation to this year's championship, and social media had made me aware of Hardin25's threat. Forming a smirk on my face, I got into Dva mode. "What are you going to say now that you already haven't?"

Hardin25 returns my smile. " _I_ _could start with how I am going to win this year, but you must have heard that. So, as longtime rivals and former teammates, I would suggest, for the sake of us and our other selves, we train together again. Yes, it makes no sense to do so since we're competitors again, but since the championships is in New York, you might as well come here. Maybe I can teach you a few things, and you could teach me what you know. This is the ultimate bout, and whoever wins is definitely the best. Now you may ask why I have invested interest in keeping us on our pedestals?"_

"Definitely. You want to win, why should you care about me?"

" _Easy. Do you want any of those other fuckers claiming that they're better than either of us? No. I will rather die than hear that Junkrat or McCree is better than would rather retire than hear Tracer or Widowmaker is better than you. But the two of us, we're already king and queen. I will only share the throne with one person. What say you?"_

I don't know if Joshua or Hardin25 is asking me, but the answer is the same nonetheless. "Of course. I'll be with you in two days. For training...and for Hana, _training_."

Joshua deviously smiles. "I await your arrival." He signs off, and I fall back on my bed. His words hit me more than he knew. For the last four years, I was queen of the Starcraft world officially, while being of gaming in general came from my popularity. Same titles were bestowed to Joshua as well. But to officially be crown the queen of gaming...that is huge. All I had to do is make it to the finals, and my title, win or lose, is sealed.

But if I fail, the fallout, the drama, the fall from grace will be harder than it could have been last year. I will not repeat last year.


	2. How Our Last Battle Ended

**Welcome back to Level Up. This chapter is just to recap the previous battle that ends the previous story.**

 **My plan for this story to be updated bi-weekly as I juggle three stories at once. One of them will go on hiatus as I finish its third part so I can focus on Level Up and another, then I'll alternate between these two. Of course, I'll have to work around my college duties too, but I'll do my best to uphold this promise. If anything, there will be an update to Level Up at least once a month, as this is a tougher story to write personally.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 2.**

* * *

 _Hana, Memphis, Tennessee_

"Memphis. Well, it is not Los Angeles or New York City, but it is Joshua's home." I move down the long corridor from the terminal that I disembarked the plane from to the main section of the airport. Since I have a heavy carry-on my shoulder, I let the moving walkway carry me down the corridor until I get to the other side of it.

There is no large gathering of fans, not even a small gathering. I'm not exactly in uniform, instead wearing a brown shirt and jeans, but I would consider myself recognizable. If anyone knows who I am, they either notice me as we pass to or from their flight by or are elsewhere in the city. This is unlike Joshua's arrival in Seoul, in which a (crazy, boy stealing) fan and her little brother met him, got some autographs, and the girl...made a few suggestions. Thankfully, Joshua never met the girl again...or so I hope.

As I come into the main lobby of the B terminal of the airport, I see Joshua across the security gate and he sees me. Waving to each other, he gestures to the lower level where baggage claim is, to which I nod. I head down some steps that lead to baggage claim. I immediately see my luggage, all marked with my world-famous, easy to recognize emblem. As I grab them and set the suitcases on the floor, a hand grabs the largest suitcase. I don't have to look up to know who it is. Instead, I pull my suitcase and hand him the carry-on.

"No hello?"

I stop, turn, and raise myself on my tiptoes to kiss Joshua on his cheek. "Is that better?"

He laughs. "No, not really."

Trying to not laugh along with him, I struggle to maintain my hardass attitude. "Wel,l that's too damn bad." Smiling, I follow him out of the terminal to the outside world, grabbing his hand as we head towards the parking garage in the distance.. "You must have parked at the garage."

"Yes. Security gets anal about cars in the pickup zone being around longer than six seconds, so I lose money parking." The rest of the walk is in silence. My mind wanders to the last time we left an airport together last year when Josh arrived in Seoul. That leads me to remember our cooperative championship match against Widowmaker and Tracer last year when we came close to winning my fourth straight Starcraft II championship, Joshua's first.

* * *

 _Joshua, Gaming World Championship, Last Year_

" _Ladies and gentlemen, here in the arena and all across the world, the time you have been waiting for has finally come! The Gaming World Championship Grand Final for the Starcraft II Division!"_

The cheers, clapping, and the excessive shouting is familiar to Hana and I. This will be the fourth time we walk out there, shake our opponents' hand, take out seats in opposing booths, then start the game. But now, things are quite different. I am not facing Hana, and Hana is not facing me. This year, we are a team, going against a new enemy in a familiar scene. I know Hana probably didn't want me to know she's afraid, but it isn't like I don't know that already. I know she's afraid because I am indeed afraid. I slip my hand into hers, she immediately takes and grips hers around mine. Yep, I am right.

" _Introducing the challengers… Hailing from London, England, and from Annecy, France, I present to you Team WidowTracer, Tracer and Widowmaker!"_ Seconds later, the pair of women came on stage, Tracer (who has less tack than most) jumping to the center stage while Widowmaker walks slowly behind, like a predator waiting for her prey to come out of hiding. It is a scary, yet beautiful sight...

"Oww!" I clutch my formerly held hand as the nerves on it throb. "What the hell Hana?"

"You were staring at Amélie. I saw it."

"Okay, but I need my hands, don't you think?"

Hana smiles as she looks back at the stage. "I can do just as good as you can with my own." I didn't understand what she meant by that, but whatever.

" _Now introducing their opponents… From Busan, South Korea and from the United States, I present to you Team MEKA, Dva and Hardin25!"_ Showtime. Hana and I come out the curtains, doing the exact same as the team before us (but like champions would, not like Ms. Bubbly and Spider Lady). As we come up to center stage, I can see Hana looking elsewhere in the corner of my eye, glancing over myself and nearly trip on my own two feet. There, in the front row, is our families, but the real surprise is seeing Mr. Song _enthusiastically_ holding a "Go MEKA Go!" sign. Take that in, everybody. The only reveal more surprising is a Half-Life 3 confirmation. Like, the internet would collapse on itself. I turn to Hana, whose face glowed with just as much surprise as me.

Decorum proceeds once we made it to center stage. We shake Widowmaker and Tracer's hands, hear the rules (it is a simple match like the others, with a 1-hour time limit. Winner decided by either destruction of both Command Centers or by the most health of the CCs if time reaches the limit) then proceed to our respective booths. Once there, we selected our affiliations (you know who Dva and I picked. Terrans FTW). Then after a few short minutes, the clock is on, the fight starts, the game begins.

"Alright, let's get these boys gathering resources." Hana and Joshua quickly command their SCVs to begin gathering of resources, while also building their military structures. The first few minutes of the match are quite dull, as both teams focus more on building their units than fighting each other. A few "oohs" and "ahhs" echo in the room during the period in response to certain choices by either side, but for the most part, it is fairly quiet for around a quarter hour before the first team makes their attack…

* * *

 _Hana_

"La Bitché and 'Ello Bitch are going to attack soon." I hear Josh sigh beside me as I order a few upgrades to my turrets. We had caught a worker unit from WidowTracer scouting just a minute ago, and the match had gone on long enough that someone should make the first move at this point. Gladly, it is going to be our dumb opponents.

"Would it kill you to not trash talk?"

I shrug. "Why not? They can't hear us, and I bet you a hundred dollars they're talking trash about us." My partner shakes his head, focusing on our shared side of the map. A sharp warning comes to our ears a few seconds later, just as the enemy zerglings appear on my screen. It is a minuscule group, sent to test the waters, not a full-fledged attack.

"No point in using men on them. Let the turrets handle the roaches." The battle between the turrets and WidowTracer's units is short and ineffective to whatever plan they had, a lackluster start to what will be the rest of the match. After a minute or so of peace, I turn to Joshua, smiling. "Shall we demonstrate how we do things in the Grand Finals?"

He nods just as his group of Hellions join the infantry of Marines and Marauders we have assembled, coupled with a few of my Vikings for air support. "It's been thirty minutes. I don't want to spend another thirty with them. Give them hell, Hana. I'll back you up soon." I lean over and kiss Josh's cheek before a demonic grin explodes on my face. My earlier fear is replaced by digital bloodlust, greed for victory, and desire for my fourth gold trophy. I am not going to let these mid-tier gamers take what's mine.

"MEKA, activate." Sending an SCV ahead to scout, I summon our assembled units to attention, then command them to march towards the enemy base. I proceed slowly, not taking them out of my units field of view. No telling whether or not my opponents' set up an ambush or not.

It is close to the middle of the map when I stop moving. Shocked, I move my cursor away from my troops to the large assembled forces of Zerg and Protoss. Zealots, Stalkers, Adepts, Phoenix, Zerglings, Banelings, Roaches, Overlords, Infestors… Fuck. I tap Joshua's shoulder as the stalemate between both sides continue.

"How long do you think you'll be?"

"Five minutes, maybe. Why?" I direct him to my screen, which he responds with a very fearful saying of "Damn."

"Do you think you could get here faster?"

He shakes his head. "No. But you should be able to hold them off. If not, weaken them considerably. Make them remember who's is number 1."

My faith renewed, I command all units to attack first.

* * *

 _Josh, ten minutes later_

The battle between us and WidowTracer is not going well for either side. It has been ten minutes, maybe more, ever since the true fight began. Initially in an open area in the map's center (and the most direct route to both bases, it now stems to other parts of the map, little skirmishes here and there while the big battle continues in the map's center. WidowTracer is taking advantage of the Protoss and Zerg's strengths against Terran forces, just as Pharmercy did days ago. As for Dva and I, we are using our wits. I have a plan that just might work.

There is a strategy that I hadn't used in three years that...nearly worked against Hana in our first battle. It's quite simple, but can be risky. I command my factories to begin mass-producing Hellions, save for two which I order to build up Siege Tanks along with my starport producing Vikings. My plan is simple, and either it will guarantee victory or a short respite. My partner has her sweat sweating bullets, so this could be good for her. But there is the other side of the coin: WidowTracer could do use the same tactic I am, which means I need to be quicker. "Hana, babe."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember the good words of our lord and savior Gaben?"

Hana looked at me, her face definitely not showing any signs of humor. "What?"

"Half-Life 3 isn't coming, but I am." I select my new force by pressing A and project them down a side path. I keep my eye on Hana's screen as her battle continues, waiting for any signs for me to change my strategy. It hasn't. Smiling to myself, I continue on my warpath to the central battle.

I about to teach these fools what happens on the North American server, and who is its king.

* * *

 _Hana, five minutes later_

"Who would've guessed your mass Hellion strategy would actually work again, and to your success this time?"

Josh slaps my arm, not even turning to see my devilish face. He knows what is left to do. Thanks to his plan, WidowTracer's army is wiped from the front by me and from behind by Joshua. Now there is only one place left to go...their base. We command all forces to head towards our opponents' base, quickly under attack by the defenses built up. However, our force made quick work of the first line of defense and began wrecking the place. Oh, I wish I could see the faces of Tracer and Widowmaker. Probably cursing me in their native tongue. We'll, they can go fuck themselves and each other. I'm going home with the gold, again. Suck on this ti-

" _Your base is under attack."_

….What.

The.

Fuck.

Josh quickly scrolls down to our side of the map, grimacing. "What the hell? How did… How did they move an ARMY of that size undetected? And… Oh, you got to be shitting me…"

"What?"

"They have a Brood Lord and a Mothership with them." I look at Josh as if he said he is pregnant with my child. There's no way in hell I'm letting these... _girls_ win.

I look to Joshua with bloody determination. "Do you have enough resources for... _it_?"

My boyfriend, who I consider the more merciful person between us, grins so hard I think the Joker himself would be jealous. "You couldn't have said anything better. I have more than enough, maybe for a few of _it_." He presses a few keys, and while both sides wage a base race, the starports Joshua has using resources releases the Terrans' most powerful unit: the Battlecruiser. Three of them take the fight to the Protoss/Zerg army in order to buy us time to destroy the enemy base. WidowTracer is already ahead, but...Maybe the cruisers could do something. Right now, I focus on getting to their Greater Hive and Nexus. Josh will stay behind to defend his Planetary Defense and my Orbital Command.

I am closing in on the zerg base when Josh cries out, "Hana, they're converging on you first! I'll try to stall them."

Dammit… Oh well. "Time to raise my APM. Hold them, Josh." With a Spawning Pool destroyed, I had an opening on the insects' base. I command all units to focus fire, watching as the health of the base deplete quickly. I turn to Josh, who is biting his lips. "How am I?"

"You're taking some damage, and we're down a cruiser and a Brood Lord, but I don't think they'll be held off any longer."

I nod, accepting the inevitable. "It's okay. Just be ready, alright. You can win this. Just think, you technically beat me in this battle." He smiles at that, then faces his screen. I turn back to mine, witnessing the last few bits of one of two WidowTracer bases' defenses fall. It finally explodes, signaling the end of one of our opponents. With some hope, I direct the troops to the other base, which had already suffered some damage.

"One cruiser left, at half health. They have lost the Mothership. Your base is now rapidly losing health, even with the lack of zerg units."

With that, I began to scroll down to our base. "Switch now. I'll handle defenses, whatever I have left. You press on the attack." Josh complies, moving to the other side of the map as I assume control of the defense. As I look at my Orbital Command, I knew I wouldn't last. But I made a final play. "Josh, sending the Battlecruiser to you. It'll finish the job."

"...Alright... Dva."

"Yes, Hardin25?"

"It's been an honor to play at your side, and a bigger honor to know that in the 12 hours, I lasted longer than you twice."

I laugh, trying to hide my tears as well. "Thank you. It's my honor to know that in the last 12 hours, you wouldn't have done shit if it wasn't for me."

"Point taken."

"Yeah…" As Josh turn back to the screen, I lean over, turning his face to kiss him. It is quick but passionate. As we break, I say, "Now you can win the gold."

* * *

 _Josh_

Hana's base is terminated a few seconds later, just as she manages to send the Battlecruiser to my location. Now I begin to lay waste to the other half of WidowTracer's base while the survivor of that team ravages my home. Unfortunately, there's no need to continue telling you of what happens, because, you see, I'm the hero of this story. I'm the canonical ending. The end of the game. I defeat the final boss, save the world and the girl, and will live happily ever until the next game in the series. What I am trying to convey is that I-

 _Bzzp!_

…...The screen went dark.

* * *

 _Hana, Present day_

Joshua's house is just a few minutes from the airport. If anyone didn't know Joshua, whose bank account is as big as mine and many other popular gamers, one would think he lives on the richer side of town. However, the boy is a simple guy with money. It makes me look spoiled.

His house is simple in design, being one story with almost the size of a perfect square. Brown bricks create the exterior, blending with the rest of the houses along the street. He had a nice sized front lawn, and from what I can see of the back, it is quite large.

As we park in the driveway, I smile to myself. A year ago, my parents' met us at my door, my dad gave an implied warning to Joshua (as all dads do when their daughters live with a boy). It was...quite different to not see his own. Then again, when the whole world knows your relationship status, does it really matter?  
"Why are you smiling?"

"I'm just...remembering the past." I turn to Josh, who looks back a little confused. "This year is going to be different, you know. Once again, we're going to be against each other."

"Not just each other, Hana. Not just other Starcraft players either. We're up against the world. Whatever happens, the only way this ends is with me winning."  
I raise my eyebrows to combat his challenging glare. " _You_? Excuse me, but you're looking at the three-time champion. I'm going to win."

Josh unlocks the car doors, and we exit. "We'll see, champ. We'll see."


	3. An Old Enemy, A New Challenge

_Joshua_

For the last three weeks, all we've done is train. Name any esports game you can think of, and more likely than not we've spent an entire day dedicated to developing our skills. COD? Did it. Fortnite? Got a few W's. Smash? Well... there are multiple ways we've played that game but that's another story. The fact of the matter is that we looked at the other gaming scenes, including past tournaments, and saw what's usually the games played.

As primarily Starcraft players, or PC gamers in general, we have to have the mindset that every game playable will not be on a computer. There were times when we had to assume that a game will be set up on a console. While my skills with a controller are as great as most Americans, Hana's are...a work in progress.

Damn Koreans spend too much time in front of a keyboard.

"This is too hard," Hana said once when we were playing Smash Ultimate. I reckoned that her skills might have diminished during her time in the military, but no it wasn't that. She just isn't as technical as me with a traditional controller. It made no sense to me given she's one of the best gamers on the planet.

"Hana, have you ever held a controller before?"

"Yes, but… PC games are my life. Give me a mouse and keyboard, I'm ready to go. But this piece of junk? Do we _have_ to play this with a controller? Ugh. So uncivilized."

The queen of the "master race" has spoken, but she asks a good question. Multiplatform games these days have cross-platform connectivity, and from the matches I've seen, competitors are able to use their system of choice. Arguments are made that PC players have a quicker reaction time due to using a mouse, especially for shooters, but those arguments are countered by the idea that if we are pro gamers, we should be able to overcome that difference.

Console exclusive titles, however, are a different story. You cannot play Super Smash Brothers with a mouse and keyboard. The game is complicated enough.

We also studied our opponents. When I was a rookie four years ago, this allowed me to develop my own strategies if I was to ever encounter situations I wasn't previously exposed to. As my skills and fame rose, I am sure my rivals made the same decision did. It hasn't worked yet against me, but the RTS community is used to facing each other. To pit the few of us selected against the shooter and fighter communities brews new opponents and strategies to develop.

And every community has its own king and queen.

For the shooter community, of course, the titles belong to the western world. Both of them are American, by the names of Elizabeth Ashe and Jesse McCree, "Ashe' and "McCree" as their codenames. Both from the Southwest United States, gunslinging is in the air and they breathe it deeply. Despite our separation of interests, James and Elizabeth are the only United States based gamer that can call themselves my equals, if not my superiors. By popularity, I am a far cry away from them, but the two have led their team, Deadlock Gang, to become five-time world champions.

Unlike last year with Hana and me, there was no problem with them fucking each others' brains.

In the fighting community, Akande "Doomfist" Ogundimu of Nigeria alone and supreme. The guy has a cybernetic right arm (which I totally believe he jacks himself off with every night on the highest setting) which originally disqualified him from competing but as the years passed cybernetics became legal as long as they met some years ago, however, he proved he didn't need his arm after disabling it in the grand finale and winning. That solidified his throne more than any trophy could. Being the only pro gamer from Africa that competes in GWC yearly, he's the most popular gamer on the continent and around the world.

But I bet you that he jacks himself off with that cybernetic arm like its a jackhammer.

You might remember the other top players of the RTS community, Lena "Tracer" Oxton, Amélie "Widowmaker" Lacroix, and Jamison "Junkrat" Fawkes. Those three rivals of ours are indeed returning, which is interesting but also comforting that we'll have allies among rivals. The five of us have privately agreed to show a sense of unity this year against the other communities, allowing us to focus on the true enemies.

To continue that list, I'll head to the new reigning champion of the platforming community. Jean-Baptiste Augustin, going by the codename "Baptiste," won last year's championship over the former champion, Olivia "Sombra" Colomar. Both are heading to this year's bout, so I am interested in their competitiveness.

That's just the more dangerous competitors. I'm sure anyone can win (pfft) but the other five kings and queens (plus Hana) are the real threats to me. Until today, when the one person I hadn't seen compete in four years announced their entry.

* * *

As the movie starts the credits, Hana turns to me expectantly. "So, tell me, how was it?"

I place my hand underneath my chin, faking being in thought. "Well, if I am to be honest, I hated all of it. The plot, subpar. The effects look like an 80s movie. It was so mundane I'll _actually_ rather watch porn for the plot." Hana scrunches up her face, either recognizing my sarcasm and not appreciating it or not happy that I compared her movie to porn. "I'm just kidding. It was very good."

"Thank you." Hana kisses me then rises off the couch. "I love 'Heroes of My Storm,' partially because I am in it, but I rather not do another movie in my life. At least not now." She turns around, smiling at me. "I'm going to shower. You're staying here?"

My mind diverges along two paths, one to follow Hana and see what happens, the other taking her question in a less than inviting way and do something else. As much as I will like to follow my girlfriend, I choose the better path. "I'm going to watch some news while you take a shower. See what's up in our gaming world."

"Spoilsport."

"I know." Hana walks away as I change the channel to the most dedicated gaming news channel, Gaming News Network. Some Omnic is presenting the news about the Warcraft 3 remaster, which I definitely cannot wait for, before the segment changes to a new topic.

" _Now we present you this breaking news: A new competitor has announced himself for the Gaming World Championship. Returning from a four-year hiatus is Kyung-Soo "King" Han, the previous champion of GWC's Starcraft II division. This news comes just two weeks before the week-long festivities begins, in which the yearly championship is now composed of a single, genre-crossing tournament to decide once and for all who is the best gamer in the world. This is what Han had to say."_

"What?!" The scene shifts from the newscaster to Han himself being interviewed. The man is a few years older than me, and as the Omnic said, he was the _previous_ Starcraft champion. I bring my hands to my head, holding it in disbelief as Han stares back at me (technically the camera) as he speaks." _Four years is a lot of time to remove yourself from something you love. I've kept myself out of the spotlight, but I never kept myself from the game. I honed my skills, I applied myself to studying my opponents, I did everything possible to prepare myself. Yes, this would have been the year I would have returned to the Starcraft division, but this year's opportunity is much bigger than that. I do not have to prove just how much better I am than Song Hana or Joshua Hardin. No, I get to take on the world and prove that I am better than everyone. But I say this to you, Hardin… I will have my revenge. And Song, I will reclaim what is mine."_

As the newscaster comes up again, I become deaf to his words. I stare at the television with the same amount of shock that Hana could give me if she told me she is pregnant. I...cannot process fast enough what I just heard. I want to believe it is just a surprise announcement after thinking I knew all the big competitors, but no, that is not the reason. As you can infer from Han's words, we have some beef, which is true.

After all, while Hana took his championship, it was I who prevented him from defending it in the finals.

I do not know how long I sat there looking like a vegetable, but it is long enough for Hana to return from her shower. Now back in a white tank and those shorts all college girls wear. She sees my stupefied form, which leads her to ask "What is wrong with you?" I do not answer, so she steps into the room to my side and looks at the television. And yes, the headline is still up. "'A Challenger Approaches: Kyung-Soo Han… Who is that-OH MY GOD!" Hana drops beside me, mimicking my shock. "My predecessor? The former champ? The guy you eliminated to face me? Where has he been for four years? How is he in now?"

"You keep asking those questions, you'll catch up to me very soon." I shake off my freeze, sighing as I turn the television to a better channel. The HMDI one. I boot up my Switch from sleep mode and jump back to playing Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Hana shuffles up to me, not enough to fully distract me but to make herself comfortable.

"I never thought about him after I won. I don't even remember not seeing him the next year. What do you remember about him?"

"Let's see. He was champion before you, I think two or three-time champion. So you have him beat as the youngest and either beat or tied fo the most-times champion. As for why he disappeared, I cannot tell you that."

Hana mumbles incoherently to herself before sighing. "What did he say?"

"Something about being better than he used to, oh, and the usual threats against us. Except he really has it for me."

Hana scoffs. "Big talk for someone who lost to a rookie. You should remind him of that."

"Believe me, I am cooking up some responses. Maybe in the morning. By the way, is he not Korean? That means you took his throne."

"I am more popular than he ever was. I deserve it."

Maybe Hana is right on that, but that does not settle my worries. Hana downplays them yet she is a reigning champ, I am not. To her, Han is just another defender; to me, another obstacle. Despite beating him years ago, I can barely call it a win. Luck got me to victory. There's no telling what has changed since then. I can successfully beat anyone (including Hana, except when it really counts) but never will I call my win over Han a true test of skill.

Looks like now I'll get my chance. With two weeks to the tournament, we can only have a war of words. Then on day four of the festivities, we shall begin our battle. Han Kyung-Soo, if it is war you want with me, if it is revenge you so desire, then I shall give you your chance.


	4. Rivalry Reforged

**It's been a while, huh?**

 **I contemplated not continuing this story, but with the reveal of Overwatch 2 and...well, every time I see the prequel, I remember how much I enjoyed writing that story. That motivated me to finally finish this chapter, and in 2020, the story will continue. I promise that right here, right now.**

 **With that in mind, I haven't decided how to structure the tournament. I do know that there will be some solo PVP and team PVP. It will be elimination style with points, but that will all be detailed once the tournament actually begins.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy the fourth chapter of Level Up.**

* * *

 _Hana_

"That son of a bitch!"

That is definitely the one thing you want to hear when you're half an hour from streaming. As I check the hardware to make sure everything is sound, I can hear my boyfriend rampaging in his bedroom. I wonder what got him heated, yet I'm sure I'll know soon enough.

The last week, ever since Han formally announced his appearance at GWC, Joshua has been a walking landmine. Normally I'm the one to lose my head while he's the collected gamer, but now the roles are substantially reversed. He's irritable, bitter, distant. It makes him more focused on preparing for the tournament, now only four days away. However, we leave for the two-day festivities that predate the beginning of the tournament tomorrow. Those details we plan to go over on stream together, but Josh and I have great plans for those two days. But that requires Joshua to be in a good mood and he is not in one.

I sigh, getting out of my chair and walking to the bedroom. His door is open, allowing me easy entry in the room we share. I step no farther than the doorframe, leaning against it as I see Joshua stare out the window of his house, quietly fuming. He slightly turns his head to me once he hears me, but stays in place. "Are you ready?"

I look at my watch. "No, we got twenty-seven minutes. Time for you to loosen up. Especially about Han."

He sighs. "I can't help it, Hana. You don't get it. Not yet, at least."

"Then help me understand. You've been angry for a week. We leave for the tourney tomorrow, and though we are indeed competing against each other, I'll like to think of this as a vacation of sorts with the man I love. So to enjoy that, I need a happy Joshua for at least a few days. Once Sunday comes and the tournament begins, you can be pissy for the next seven days."

Joshua sighs again. "Fine." He's quiet for now but he turns to me, sitting down on the windowsill. I walk to him, standing between his open legs, taking his hand in mine. "Your rise to fame is due to your victories, nothing more, nothing less. If you lose here, so what, you're still the reigning champion of Starcraft II. Me, what do I have to claim for fame? Second best? That's hot piss."

I shake my head as I put my hands to work. "You have a lot of things to be proud of. One, you're the most popular streamer in the world. It took you four years, but nobody, not even me, has made over 50,000 concurrent viewers in a year. I still haven't come close, and I'm sure my fanbase comes to see me for reasons other than for games. Two, yes, you're the second-best Starcraft II player, but…everyone knows that if you competed in other areas of GWC, you'll probably win. You know, the more American-prominent games. You choose the hard way because you don't want an easy win, and everyone sees that. And three, your biggest claim to fame…"

Josh looks down to my hands, trying his best to stay serious despite the average-speed ministrations. "That doesn't count."

I smile. "But to have the most popular girl gamer definitively in Asia, arguably around the world, and the only person to beat your ass...and your dick."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better about Han?"

I reposition ourselves, me sitting on the windowsill while I pull my jean shorts off. "No, but we got to stream in twenty-three minutes and, to be honest, they're aren't donating enough for us to do this on camera." I pull the head of his member inside me, sighing blissfully as he slowly fills me up until he can't advance any further. I wrap my hands around his neck as his hands tentatively grab my waist.

Joshua looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, you're not doing this for me. I wasn't even in the mood. This is for you."

"Are you seriously complaining about this while you're dick-deep in me now? Get moving, we got twenty-one minutes."

"I'm just saying, I was thinking how to beat Han's ass and now here you are."

"You can fuck him in the ass later, but for the love of God, _shut the hell up and move_."

* * *

 _The next day_

"Look at that crowd. All cheering for me."

Joshua frowns as he lets the top window of our limo open just a tad bit to let the chorus of voices enter our ears. Rolling his eyes, he looks back to me. "They're cheering for us both, asshole."

"Which means they're cheering for me." Since I'm by the door, I get the best view of the crowd surrounding the red carpet to the hotel we're staying in. To be honest, I am a little nervous. It's been a year since I last did anything major for gaming...now a war hero, I aim to prove that my skills on the original battlefield are as refined as ever. I turn to Joshua, winking. "Ready, Player Two?"

"'Player One' has the joystick, not the touchpad. Yeah, I'm ready." I knock on the window for the chauffeur to open the door. We're welcomed to the streets of New York City with the roars of excited fans. I exit the limousine first, holding a first up as my gamertag is sung in a chorus of praise. Bellhops come from the hotel entrance to gather our luggage, leaving me to interact with my fans. Phone out, I used my video camera to record the rage. "Hello there, New York City! Here comes a new challenger! Your three-time Starcraft II champion of the world, the most viewed streamer in the world, or formerly…but most importantly, the best gamer in this fucking galaxy, Hana Song, aka Dva, is fucking back! Make some noise!" The crowd cheers loudly, but she's interrupted by the voice of her boyfriend.

"Look at this bullshit." Joshua holds up his own phone, pushing me out of his way playfully. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Dva is a champion, but we all know l, we _all_ know that I won the championship last year. So while the GWC and a certain Frenchie might say otherwise, we know I was moments away from being a champion. Forgetting that, I am the most viewed streamer in the world, I am the best gamer in the best country in the world! This year, the championship is on our turf! The championship is here in the United States. As the greatest gamer in the greatest country in the world, it is my duty that I, Hardin25, will win this motherfucker. Not a Korean, not an Australian, not the English, the Spanish, the Mexicans, Canadian, African, or Russian. America will win, but not just any American. Not McCree. Not Ashe. Me."

* * *

 _Joshua_

After spending almost two hours interacting with fans and moving into my room, I make my way to the lounge reserved for us competitors. Including me and Hana, there's 50 of us here for the championship. Hana told me to go on ahead, that'll I'll see her for dinner.

Entering the lounge, I see my fellow gamers playing games, chatting freely, and enjoying each other's company. I look around and head for the bar (happily of legal age). Without Hana around, I don't feel the need to socialize with anyone, plus most of these guys definitely are out to knock me down.

The bartender sees me sit at the table and happily brings herself over. She's not much older than I am, at most 23 years of age, and I guess my fame is recognizable by her. "Joshua Hardin? Hola. Pleased to serve you. What can I get you?"

"Water, no ice."

"Nothing more...fun?"

"Gotta stay hydrated. But tell you what, later on in the week, I'll come back and take a few shots with you, Miss…" I look back up to the bartender, noticing her head half full of black hair at the roots down to the violet, the other half shaved. Her violet eyes are full of intrigue as if she is hacking into the depths of my brain for my deepest secrets. She isn't a regular bartender, she's one of us. "Colomar." Olivia "Sombra" Colomar, Mexico's favorite daughter. As I stated earlier in the story, she's the former platforming champion, which now Baptiste, a Haitian, possesses as his title.

Returning back to me with my ordered glass of water, Olivia slides it over seductively. "Is that a promise, _amigo_? I don't take promises lightly."  
I smile as I take the glass from her. "Neither do I."

"Good." She walks around the bar counter with her own drink in, taking one of the seats beside me. I do my best to not stare at the casually clothed woman, so I focus my sight on the rest of the gamers. I'm surprised no one else has noticed me but awfully glad of it. Of course, there's a voice in the back of my head telling me that something is going to start some controversy again like last year, which I am also prepared for.

"You seem nervous to be sitting beside me."

"I should be. If last year was any indicator, anyone is willing to make a story. Of course, that video was doctored but the case it presented was true. Anyone here can take a snapshot of us and spin it as something it is not."

Olivia chuckles and takes a sip of her drink. "True. So that's why you initiate the story before anyone else. Look." She takes out her phone and begins recording. "¡Hola a todos! Esta noche, me estoy relajando la noche anterior al comienzo del festival anual. ¿Adivina a quién conocí?" She faces the camera to me, in which I wave. "Josh Hardin, también conocido como Hardin25. Este idiota me retó a un concurso de bebidas pequeñas más tarde en la semana, así que después de vencerlo en la competencia, le ganaré el hígado. Nos vamos a divertir aquí esta noche como amigos, pero a partir de dos días, Sombra y Hardin25 subirán al escenario." (Hi everyone! Tonight, I am relaxing the night before the start of the annual festival. Guess who I met? Josh Hardin, also known as Hardin 25. This idiot challenged me to a small beverage contest later in the week, so after beating him in the competition, I will beat his liver. We're going to have fun here tonight as friends, but after two days, Sombra and Hardin25 will take the stage)

Stopping the recording and posting it on social media, Olivia chuckles. "That is how you overcome anything that comes out against you. Hop on it first, and anything afterward is already defended. If you hold the information, you hold all the cards." Done uploading, Olivia smiles at me then turns to the lounge. "Besides, I would rather not incite Hana's anger. We got enough trouble in this very room for ourselves, why have something bad between us?"

"Agreed." I turn to the lounge entrance just in time to see the devil appear on cue. His brown hair, those stupid glasses, his condescending facial expression...the bastard is here. Han "King" Kyung-Soo, the former champion. And like a king entering his hall full of subjects, everyone shuts their mouth and stare as he walks to the center of the room.

"Hmm. This is it, the appreciation a king like me deserves. None of you are worthy to be in my presence in the first place. To cement that, I will breeze through the competition like a king crushes a peasant army."

Beside me, Sombra chuckles. "So you're the legendary King? Is that your intimidation speech? Me hace lo que el viento a Juárez (Gives me the same trouble as the wind gave Juarez/Didn't faze me at all). Besides, you've been gone for four years after losing to a 'peasant,' isn't that right, Joshua?"

I smirk. "In-fucking-deed." I stand up, walking down to the older man in a black shirt and jeans. "You really are talking too much shit for someone who lost to a rookie and made you disappear for half a decade. Half-Life came back before you did."

"And the little shitstain approaches. Yes, you beat me, Hardin, but don't think for a second it makes you superior. Unlike you, I was champion, something you never was. Unlike you, I beat Song Hana publicly many times. Unlike you, I'm not pretending to be someone I'm not. A professional loser. I will prove it to you and the world the fraud you are...and then I will prove myself better than that doll you fuck with."

Sombra came at the right moment to hold me back before I punched those glasses into Han's face. "Insult me all you want, but leave Hana out of this."

Han scoffs as he pushes his glasses up like an anime character. "Don't tell me what to do. I'll see all you scum tomorrow. Enjoy the fanfare of the next two days, for when the competition truly starts, I will stand on top of 49 failures. That includes you and Song."

Han leaves the lounge and Sombra takes me back to the bar. Sighing, she walks around to the bartending side. "Ya estoy lista para ese trago (I think I'm ready for that drink now). You?"

"Yeah."


	5. The Interview

_Hana_

Social media is on a storm. Ever since last night's confrontation between Joshua and Han, it has been the only thing people have talked about. #KingVHardin25 is the most popular hashtag worldwide, with over 5 million hits on various social networks. Knowing how press conferences and interviews go, tonight is going to be interesting.

The festivities leading to the actual tournament start in an hour, so I tap away on my phone as I wait for Joshua to come down. I've never been much of a mobile gamer, but, forget everything you think you know about mobile games because Raid Shadow Legends is one of the most ambitious RPG projects of 2019 has just been released and will change everything.

Imagine me actually telling people to play, I got enough sponsors as is.

I hear knocking at my door, so I hop up, grab my little Dva purse and head out. Opening the door, I see Joshua in his usual assortment of clothes: red t-shirt, black jeans, red and black shoes, and his black "Hardin25" jacket. He looks at me really quickly (a blue blouse, white pants and shoes) then to his phone. "We got a little over an hour, no rush."

"Yeah, but the earlier we arrive, the more I can prepare myself. This is the first press conference I've had in a year." Today is the press' day with us gamers, so that means interview after interview, conference after conference, and it pretty much ends with the appearance on GamerTV, gaming's most popular talk show hosted by Winston Harold. Last year's show was special due to the team nature of the Starcraft II division's new ruleset and controversy, but this year's GWC edition might take the cake. As far as I know, only ten of the fifty competitors are going to appear, me and Joshua included. If I had to guess, Han will too.

"You have nothing to worry about, mon amie." I turn my head to my left, seeing one of my female rivals, Amélie "Widowmaker" Lacroix. The bewitching beauty of Paris leans on the with quite a tired look, though if she flexes her legs one more time, I will seriously cut them down. Normally, I can care less if Joshua is with another woman (case in point, Sombra) but Amélie is… Well, as Joshua once described, I'm the girl-next-door kind of hot, but Amélie is the forbidden fruit. For some reason, she and Joshua have gotten along well, _too_ well with each other, but I never had the courage to ask him about it.

Sneering, I intend to give her my best unwelcoming look. "The spider descends from its shitty web."

"All to bite the bunny on its delicious neck."

"Where's Lena? Never knew France to be so far away from Britain unless you got a white flag strapped on your ass."

Amélie sighs as she stands up. "Probably eating 'breakfast' with her girlfriend. Ugh, so glad I have my own room."

"Probably because yours has a nest of cobwebs," I mutter as I follow Josh and Amélie to the elevators. On our trip there, on, and out the elevators, I kept to myself as the other two conversed about something that happened last night. As we entered the lobby, Amélie waves over to someone in front of us. As we come closer, I sigh in disappointment. Wearing a grey shirt with a grenadier's vest as its design along with green shorts and black boots approaches Australia's best gamer, Jamison "Junkrat" Fawkes.

He grins at the three of us as he brushes his "flaming" white hair back. "It's a perfect day for some mayhem." He and Joshua fist bumps as he joins us, which blows my mind. I've known both guys for years, and they've _hated_ each other. Jamison never had much love for Amélie either, so it is very disturbing to see the three of them together as friends.

"Hana, why you look like someone just blew your brains out?" Jamison laughs at his pun (He has a love for explosives, so he does that a lot) as he pats Hana's shoulder. Okay, that's it.

She takes a step back, holding her hands out to the unlikely group of gamers. "Okay, someone needs to explain why you guys are all so...friendly."

"Cheer up, love!" From out of nowhere behind me appears Lena "Tracer" Oxton, England's red-blooded queen. She hugs me from behind (a little too close and too tight for comfort) and pats my abdominal area. "Damn Hana, for a gamer, you're fit as hell. They worked you in the military?" She releases me and I quickly step away, much to her amusement. She smiles towards Joshua, pointing her thumb at me. "Bet you love how firm the rudder is, huh?"

Joshua clears his throat and turns to me. "To answer your question, while you were gone, I decided that last year's competition taught me that I possibly could be friends with other gamers, even if they are my direct rivals. So since the five of us are the top in our division, doesn't it help to keep your enemies closer than your friends? I will admit, it went better than expected."

"Besides," Jamison adds, "I'll love to see His Fucking Majesty lose again. Might stay away for good this time."

That… I can agree with Junkrat on. Sighing, I rejoin my fellow gamers. "All right. But don't get too close, I'm still better than all of you."

"Une telle chienne" I don't know what Widowmaker said, but based on everyone's laughter, I bet it wasn't good.

* * *

 _Some time later_

"Thank you, everyone, for joining us this morning." As the Omnic host and interviewer SMK-1992 introduces the show and his guest, I sit in the high chair as comfortable as I can. This is, after all, my first interview since the aftermath of last year's competition. I requested that questions about my military service be kept to a minimum (I think the audience wouldn't care that much about it), but besides that, anything can go. Speaking of the audience, it is all media people, so unlike my normal audience of gamers and horny men and women, I have to watch what I say carefully. It is being live-streamed across the globe too, so one mishap will immediately be on social media almost instantaneously. Taking a deep breath, I smile as MK introduces me. "Her crown might be disputed as the world's best gamer, but without a doubt, she is the current queen of real-time strategy. My guest, Hana, 'Dva' Song!"

I smile and wave to the camera, then turn to the Omnic. "Thank you, MK, for having me."

"Always a pleasure, Ms. Song. Now we have you for fifteen minutes, so shall we jump right into the questions?"

"Definitely."

"Okay, so it has been a year since we last saw you. No gaming events, not a live-stream, just military service that, I will say, thank you for it, so compared to other gamers who have been honing their skills, you are rusty. But do you believe you are rusty?"

I expected this question to come up at some point today. Laughing a bit to myself, I conjure up the press-friendly version of my answer. "Well, it depends on how you determine how rusty a person can be. If this was a Starcraft II tournament I was entering this year, I would decline. I've played it for years, won it three times. If something is familiar to you, you might have to get back into it, of course, but it won't take much for you to find your stride. But let's take something like Mortal Kombat or Smash Bros. I'm not a fighting game fanatic, I dabble in them, but it would take more effort to get to the level I am in them. So...I guess it depends on what I am rusty in. However, I don't expect to be hindered too much."

MK nods. "Very well answered. Okay, next question: I think at this point, no one will deny you are one of gaming's top players right. Three-time GWC champion, all your sponsorships and many other accolades. But this week, you go against 49 other competitors, which including rivals from Starcraft II and your own boyfriend. Whoever wins is undisputedly the best in the world. What will that mean to you, a young woman who pretty much, to many, is already the best in the world?"

"Well… Do I consider myself one of the best? Without a doubt. As you've said, I have evidence to back up my claim. It might just run in the family. My grandfather, after all, was one of the best in his time. But to be _the_ best, that is something else. Especially with so many others competing for the same title, my boyfriend included… If they're here, they deserve it. Some are fellow champions, past and present, others are renowned gamers in their divisions. For those who are champions or were champions, this just cements how great we are, but for those who have never won a title, this puts them above the individual divisions. Quite frankly, this tournament is interesting."

"It is an interesting competition if I must say so myself. So… What are you expecting this year from the competition?"

I shrug. "To be honest, we don't know much about it. We don't know the games, how rankings will be handled, so going into this blind is very exhilarating. But in terms of the other competitors, most of these guys I have never competed against. Those that I have, it has only been in one game. So to face those I know in games other than Starcraft and to face others for the first time, I think I am expecting a good fight. Last year in Starcraft, I must say that the coop rules made it harder. Tracer and Widowmaker are hard on their own. I'm not just saying that because I'm here, I actually mean it, so them together was actually frustrating. If this competition is the fifty gamers the GWC considers worthy, that is not to be taken lightly."

MK nods then look at his notes. "Okay, final question. Dva, when you first entered the GWC, you won the championship after facing Hardin25 in the finale, taking the throne from King. Four years later, your fifth competition, he returns. He seems to be focused on the one who eliminated him, Hardin25, based on last night's video and previous comments. But do you, as the champion after him, have any thoughts about it?"

I sigh. "Well, he was in my squad in the military, we didn't have the best relationship but we put those differences aside in the fight. However...I did not know he was returning. So to speak professionally, I must say it is a surprise. I don't blame him at all for coming after the one who eliminated him, but he's going to find out that we've evolved our skills these past five years as he said he did. That's all I'll say about that."

* * *

 _Joshua_

" _Mierda_ , being interviewed is tiring," Olivia says as she tosses a fry into her mouth. I chuckle as I take a sip of my water while listening to her rant. "'Baptiste this, Baptiste that,' if I wanted to discuss Baptiste I would do it myself. At least the third interview was interesting for the most part."

"Yeah." Olivia and I were part of a panel with other popular North American gamers, including Baptiste, McCree, and Ashe. Calling it "interesting" is an understatement, it was the most engrossing panel I've ever had whilst being professional in attitude. You just don't know how many shots I wanted to take at the members of Deadlock Gang and I'm sure Olivia held back when answering about her and Baptiste's rivalry. Of course, no questions refrained from asking about my new friendship with Sombra, including last night's events with that Korean jackass.

While Olivia is done for the day, I still have a big appearance on GamerTV. Having to make eight previous appearances (the panel my fifth) is tiring enough, I plan to enjoy Winston's interview. This time, I know it cannot possibly end like last year's. With that in mind, I lean back and snack on a chicken tender. "Well, today wasn't all too bad. 'King this, King that,' and all other manners of bullshit. It is what it is, but tomorrow, at least we get to hold nothing back."

"True," Olivia says with a conniving smile. "Might spread some blasphemy about McCree and Ashe. Maybe his penis can't reach 'high noon'? Or her Omnic… B.O.B., isn't it? Heard it fucks better than he can."

I smile. "Leave some ideas to Rule 34, please. Though I agree with the first idea, it might explain why she's always so angry."

"Yeah. As for Baptiste, the _virgen_ he is, I'll think of something. But all this professionalism with people I do not like is stressful." Finishing her last fry, Olivia looks over to my fry-filled plate and takes some. I pretend to not care. "Anyway, big night, huh? I'll be watching on the big screen in my room. I'll be your biggest fan."

"I'll shout for you. 'Shoutout to Sombra who stole my fucking fries.' Sounds good?"

She laughs as she leans back and crosses her legs. " _Si lo hace_. More than perfect. Anyway, where's Hana? We haven't seen her since this morning."

I shrug as I look at my phone. I haven't got a single message from her in the last two hours. "Tons of interviews on her end, I guess. She is resting or something. We got an hour or so before we got to prepare for Winston's show, so I'll see her then."

Olivia raises an eyebrow. "Not the slightest bit concern? You two have a strong relationship, I see. Considering what happened last year, I shouldn't be all too surprised. Yet, I feel you and her need to watch your backs, especially with Han. I don't know much, but something just doesn't sit right with me about him."

I nod. "Me too, but you think it has something to do with me and Hana?"

"Yes, but I remembered something from Hana's first interview this morning. She worked with Han in the military, yet she says she didn't know anything about his plans to return. But the way she spoke about him, professional as it was, it didn't seem forced. If you didn't like someone, you would have to force yourself to speak in a non-bias way about them. Now I could be wrong, but that's not I got."

I narrow my eyes. I recall watching the interview too, and she did cut the answer about Han short. Now that I think about it, she didn't hesitate when responding, unlike me, who had to recenter myself. "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure the three of us will be on stage together tonight. Maybe there'll be some drama after all…"


End file.
